IBM MQ 9.1.4 is the next continuous delivery release of IBM MQ, delivering further incremental updates to MQ. To recap, here are your MQ and MQ Appliance options at this point:
- IBM MQ and IBM MQ Appliance 9.1
- IBM MQ 9.0 (There is no MQ Appliance 9.0 LTS firmware level)
- IBM MQ and IBM MQ Appliance 8.0
New MQ Appliance M2002 models will ship with the LTS firmware onboard by default, but you can move at any time to the CD firmware if there is function of interest.
Where can I get IBM MQ 9.1.4 from?
MQ 9.1.4 has been delivered concurrently on distributed, z/OS, MQ Appliance and IBM MQ on IBM Cloud managed service platforms. For any queries about what each Program entitles you to install check out the MQ license information page.
- Distributed platforms: PassportAdvantage for AIX, Linux and Windows platforms (Search for part number CJ4YVML)
- z/OS: shopZ for z/OS. Each PID has a Long Term Support and Continuous Delivery orderable feature.
The MQ for z/OS 9.1.4 PTFs will deliver the function initially, with shopZ install images being available on 13th December 2019. Search for
- APAR PH17694 for IBM MQ for z/OS
- APAR PH17695 for MQ Managed File Transfer for z/OS
- APAR PH17693 for MQ Advanced for z/OS Value Unit Edition.
z/OS offerings are:
- 5655-MQ9 – IBM MQ for z/OS
- 5655-VU9 – IBM MQ for z/OS Value Unit Edition
- 5655-AV9 – IBM MQ Advanced for z/OS
This is a bundle of MQ Advanced Message Security and MQ Managed File Transfer capability (no MQ entitlement included)
- 5655-AV1 – IBM MQ Advanced for z/OS Value Unit Edition
This is a bundle of MQ Advanced Message Security, MQ Managed File Transfer and MQ for z/OS Value Unit Edition capability
- MQ Appliance: The IBM MQ Appliance firmware image can be obtained from Fix Central and applied to the M2002, M2001 and M2000 hardware models.
- IBM MQ on IBM Cloud: IBM MQ on IBM Cloud managed service, which has 3 pre-configured queue manager sizes, a Lite (Trial) plan and options for placing the queue manager in an IBM Cloud or AWS data center.
- Recently withdrawn offerings: Subscription & Support can be renewed.
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What’s new in MQ 9.1.4?
IBM MQ and MQ Appliance 9.1.4 announcement letters:
For our Offering Management perspective head over to Leif Davidsen’s wordpress blog
Updates in this release of IBM MQ include:
MQ updates across all platforms
- System requirements additions
New operating system and database support added. See the System Requirements section of this blog.
- MQ Internet Pass-Thru (MQIPT)
MQIPT typically runs in a DMZ and enables connections over the internet to reach MQ even through an existing firewall. From MQ 9.1.4 MQIPT becomes a regular part of the MQ product, aligned with the release support dates and a common set of supported operating systems and other key software. Previously MQIPT was available as a separate SupportPac (MS81). Except for Hardware Security Module (HSM) support, MQIPT is entitled to be used with any IBM MQ offering (see the list at the top of this page). The HSM support is an Advanced capability which requires one side of the IPT tunnel to be connected to an IBM MQ Advanced, IBM MQ Appliance or IBM MQ Advanced for z/OS VUE entitled queue manager. See the MQ license information page for more info.
- TLS 1.3 support phase 1 and notice of TLS 1.0 and SSL V3.0 removal
- As TLS 1.3 makes its way into the world IBM MQ has added initial support for TLS 1.3. It can be used on queue manager to queue manager channels, and for MQ 'C' client applications. It is not yet available for Java or .NET client applications, or on z/OS. To simplify configuration and aid migration alias CipherSpecs of ANY_TLS12_OR_HIGHER and ANY_TLS13_OR_HIGHER are available.
- TLS diagnostic information has been improved. See TLS Handshake Transcript in the What's new information.
- TLS 1.0 and SSL 3.0 are considered weak and have to be specifically enabled via a switch for MQ offerings. The MQ 9.1.4 announcement letter adds a statement of direction to say that we intend to remove these after the next MQ Long Term Support release.
- Web and REST interface updates
- Host header validation can be performed to only accept requests from host headers that match white list
- DISPLAY CONN command support is added
- Single quotation marks are automatically escaped
- SET POLICY attributes SIGNER and RECIP are now lists that are provided as a JSON array.
- IBM MQ Classes for .NET Standard and XMS .NET Standard are available from the NuGet repository
From MQ 9.1.4 the MQ .NET client libraries are available for installation from nuget.org. Also see the license information for the MQ .NET client libraries.
- MQ Advanced: Managed File Transfer updates
- Highly available MFT Agents
Multiple instances of a MFT Agent can be configured in active and standby mode. The standby instance automatically takes over if the active instance suffers a failure.
- New administrative REST API for creating and deleting resource monitors
- Use the MQWebUser role to authenticate in the MFT REST API
- MQ Advanced: Identification of High Availability Replica installations
The setmqinst command line interface has new -e and -l options to designate whether the install is a High Availability Replica or not. The will enable IBM License Management Tool (ILMT) to auto detect such installations for audit purposes. This can be used with both MQ multi-instance and Replicated Data Queue Manager (RDQM) HA solutions.
- MQ Advanced: The MQ certified container image supports Red Hat OpenShift
OpenShift 3.11 and 4.2 are now supported anywhere Open Shift is available.
Follow the documentation for the process for obtaining and installing the container image on OpenShift.
- MQ Advanced: IBM MQ Bridge to Blockchain
Updated to use Hyperledger Fabric for the interaction between MQ and Blockchain
- MQ Advanced: Asper fasp.io Gateway bundled for streaming of IBM MQ messages
MQ messages can be streamed over the Aspera bespoke protocol instead of TCP/IP which can impvoe performance for certain applications. MQ Advanced queue manager to MQ Advanced queue manager or any client component to MQ Advanced queue manager is supported. The queue managers connecting to the gateway must have MQ Advanced, MQ Appliance or MQ advanced fro z/OS VUE entitlement.
MQ on distributed platforms (Windows, Linux and AIX)
- Uniform Clustering continues to evolves with .NET, performance and configuration updates
This demo video gives an overview of the capability. MQ 9.1.4 enables the Uniform Clustering rebalancing capability with the MQ .NET and MQ XMS .NET clients. The rate at which MQ can detect imbalances and request rebalancing has also been improved.
Configuration has also been simplified. A single set of configuration files can be defined once and used to deploy multiple queue managers into the uniform cluster, ensuring the configuration is consistent across them.
MQ on z/OS
- Support for data set encryption
IBM MQ introduces support for the use of z/OS data set encryption for active log sets and pages sets. This includes when the owning queue manager is part of a queue sharing group. Data set encryption for shared message data sets is not currently supported. For other data sets, such as archive logs and boot strap data sets, this encryption is already supported by default. This enhancement means that persisted MQ data can be further protected by using z/OS data set encryption capabilities as part of a pervasive encryption strategy.
MQ Appliance
- IBM MQ events are now recorded in the appliance audit and CLI logs.
- Uniform cluster client re-balancing
crtmqm, setmqini and runmqsc have additional attributes to supoprt automatic configuration of queue mangers that are memeber of a uniform cluster, as described above.
- test tcp-connection enhancement
A new parameter for the test tcp-connection command enables you to specify a local address to use when testing connectivity to a remote system. This enhancement enables network routing and firewall rules to be verified for a secondary IP address, such as a high availability floating IP address'
- 'show system' displays operational mode
You can now discover the operational mode of the appliance (for example, M2002A, M2002B, M2002B+) by using the show system command or by using a REST API command to show system settings
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Can I get a copy of IBM MQ for development purposes?
- Yes, you can. A free download to use for development on Windows and Linux x86-64 is available from the IBM MQ download page
- An IBM MQ Advanced for Developers Docker image is also available on Docker Hub
The LearnMQ site is regularly updated with a mix of tutorials and essential getting started information, and offers you the opportunity to earn an IBM MQ Developer Essentials badge.
The full list of Developer download options is below.
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Downloadable resources
A number of MQ components are made available on IBM Fix Central and elsewhere for ease of download. Below are the links to the available components. Where applicable, they will show the latest V9.1 Continuous Delivery (CD) and Long Term Support (LTS) updates for each component. Be sure to know which you require!
Clients:
Components:
Containers:
Development:
Tip: Try opening the links in a private browsing tab if they don’t correctly resolve.
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MQ System Requirements and documentation
The system requirements are documented at the links below. IBM MQ Continuous Delivery releases are being made available on z/OS, Microsoft Windows, Linux on x86-64, Linux on IBM z Systems, Linux on Little Endian Power (RHEL, SLES and Ubuntu) and AIX.
Further information can be found in the IBM MQ Knowledge Center and the IBM MQ Appliance Knowledge Center
System requirements additions:
- RHEL 8
- MQ 9.1.4, MQ 9.1.0.4 LTS and MQ 9.0.0.8 LTS
- Except for MQ Explorer and RDQM due to dependencies
- Windows 2019
- MQ 9.1.4 only at the moment
- Except for MQ Explorer due to dependencies
- Ubuntu 18.0.4
- MQ 9.1.0.4 LTS and MQ 9.0.0.8 LTS
- Already in place for MQ 9.1 CD releases
- Except for MQ Explorer due to dependencies
- Oracle 18c and 19c
- MQ 9.1.4 and MQ 9.1.0.4 LTS
Full support. MQ Client XA, MQ Classes for Java (JDBC) and MFT database logger
- MQ 9.0.0.8 LTS
Partial support. MQ Client XA and MFT database logger
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What function has released in previous updates?
IBM MQ and IBM MQ Appliance 9.1.3 Continuous Delivery Release
IBM MQ and IBM MQ Appliance 9.1.2 Continuous Delivery Release
IBM MQ and IBM MQ Appliance 9.1.1 Continuous Delivery Release
IBM MQ and IBM MQ Appliance 9.1 Long Term Support (inc. new M2002 hardware model)
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Remind me how the Continuous Delivery support model works…
Its worth reminding you what the Continuous Delivery support model means for MQ.
- MQ 9.1 LTS is supported for a minimum of 5 years from its availability in July 2018, and will receive fix only updates through fixpacks versioned 9.1.0.1, 9.1.0.2 and so on.
- MQ CD updates will be delivered with the 3rd digit change – 9.1.1, 9.1.2 and so on. Defect support for a CD release is available for 12 months from the availability of the release or while it remains one of the two most recent CD releases, whichever is longer, so you need to keep moving forward with the MQ CD releases.
- MQ CD updates will be delivered with new function enabled by default.
- The IBM MQ FAQ for Long Term Support and Continuous Delivery Releases will hopefully answer most of your questions.
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